fictionalorganizationsfandomcom-20200213-history
Starfleet
Starfleet was the deep space exploratory and defense service maintained by the United Federation of Planets in the Star Trek franchise. Its principal functions included the advancement of Federation knowledge about the galaxy and its inhabitants, the advancement of Federation science and technology, the defense of the Federation, and the facilitation of Federation diplomacy. As per its mandate of deep space exploration, its personnel were frequently brought into contact with cultures and sentient species whose existences were unknown to the Federation. Starfleet officers therefore acted as official representatives of the Federation in these cases. Starfleet vessels were also frequently used to ferry ambassadors on diplomatic missions. History United Earth From the early 2130's to 2161, Starfleet was the primary space exploration organization of the United Earth government. Since the very beginning, its mission has been "to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, and to boldly go where no one has gone before". While Starfleet has never been a military organization, it has seen the virtue in preparing for the eventuality of conflict. As such, Starfleet vessels used to carry contingents of MACO troops on their missions. This was standard practice for Starfleet in the years between the Xindi attack on Earth and the foundation of the Federation. United Federation of Planets With the formation of the Federation in 2161, as per the Federation Charter, United Earth Starfleet, MACO and the deep space and defensive services of the other member worlds were folded into the authority of the Federation. Until as late as the 2290s, some Starfleet operations continued to fall at least partly under the jurisdiction of United Earth Space Probe Agency. By the mid-24th century, however, Starfleet operations were regulated solely by Starfleet Command, answering to the Federation President and the Federation Council. Organization Direct commanding authority over Starfleet was a power of the Federation President. In addition, the Federation Council, the Federation's legislature, often directly influenced the service's operations and even issued orders on occasion. The day-to-day operations of the service were managed by Starfleet Command, under a commander in chief. Commander in chief The commander in chief oversaw the operations of the entire service, and reported directly to the Federation president. In the late 2370s, the position of commander in chief was actually held by the Federation President. Starfleet Command The leading body of Starfleet throughout the organization's history. It was managed by the highest-ranking admirals in the fleet and overseen by members of the Federation Council. Its headquarters was located in San Fransisco on Earth. Sector commands These oversaw operations of the service within sectors of Federation space. There were at least 23 sector commands. Sector commanders reported to Starfleet Command, and commanding officers of service vessels operating within these sectors reported to them. Branches Starfleet was divided into several different sub-branches and agencies that oversaw various aspects of the service. These divisions have been listed below. * Starfleet Command - The leading body of Starfleet throughout the organization's history. It was managed by the highest-ranking admirals in the fleet and overseen by members of the Federation Council. * Starfleet Diplomatic Corps - This division was responsible for managing ongoing diplomatic missions with other cultures and with the transference of Starfleet officers between different assignments. * Starfleet Corps of Engineers - This agency specialized in technological innovation and modifications. * Starfleet Academy - Responsible for training new Starfleet recruits. * Starfleet Intelligence - This branch was responsible for gathering and analyzing information concerning neighbouring powers in the galaxy, and for carrying out covert investigations regarding possible threats to the Federation. * Starfleet Medical - Dedicated to biological research and treatment of Starfleet personnel. * Starfleet Security - This agency was responsible for safeguarding the Federation from internal and external threats, for conducting criminal investigations, and for guarding Federation facilities. * Starfleet Tactical - This agency was responsible for supplying Federation starships on tactical operational missions, for the tactical analysis, weapons development, and for the planning and implementation of defensive strategies. Personnel Starfleet personnel were organized, using a naval-derived rank structure, into a chain of command. Personnel were in either of two groups: enlisted personnel and officers. Some personnel formally committed to the service by taking the Starfleet oath. Officers In the 22nd century, Starfleet was a civilian organization acting as a successor to various Earth based space agencies such as NASA, the International Space Agency, and others. Its primary function was scientific development and exploration of space. Starfleet officers functioned as commanders and directors of the service's operations at all levels. The most senior officers ranks were known as flag officer ranks. Officers holding these ranks functioned at the highest levels of command in the service. Flag officer ranks, in descending order of the chain of command, are as follows: * Fleet Admiral * Admiral * Vice Admiral * Rear Admiral * Commodore/Rear Admiral, lower half Sector commanders, the Superintendent of Starfleet Academy, the Commander, Starfleet, the Starfleet Chief of Staff and Chief of Starfleet Operations, and the Commander in Chief, were all flag officers. Below flag officer ranks were other officer ranks. Officers holding these ranks usually served in field command positions, such as commanding officers and senior staff on the service's vessels. These ranks, in descending order of the chain of command, were as follows: * Captain * Commander * Lieutenant commander * Lieutenant * Lieutenant junior grade * Ensign Graduates of Starfleet Academy were commissioned to the rank of ensign, the most junior officer's rank, and were promoted to higher ranks over the courses of their time in the service. Physicians who graduated from Starfleet Medical Academy in the 24th century were commissioned to the rank of lieutenant junior grade. Enlisted personnel These personnel functioned under the command of the officers, usually serving aboard Starfleet vessels or other facilities. Instead of officers' training, enlisted personnel received basic training for whatever position they served in. The most junior enlisted rank was that of crewman. The service's enlisted rank structure, in descending order of the chain of command, was as follows: * Master chief petty officer * Senior chief petty officer * Chief petty officer * Petty officer ** 1st class ** 2nd class ** 3rd class * Crewman The enlisted ranks above that of crewman were not commissioned officer ranks. To distinguish them from commissioned officer ranks, the term 'non-commissioned officer' was used. All enlisted personnel were subordinate to commissioned officers in the chain of command. Uniforms In the 22nd century, the same basic uniform was worn by all Starfleet officers, with differences in insignia and color-coded elements designed to distinguish rank and departmental function. Starfleet departments included Starfleet Operations and Starfleet Security. Starfleet personnel wore distinctive uniforms while on duty. These uniforms generally displayed the department colour of the department/division the enlisted person or officer served in, and also the rank insignia. Wearing a Starfleet uniform when not actually a member of Starfleet would put one at risk of being charged with impersonating a Starfleet officer. Orders and regulations Starfleet operated under a strict series of guidelines that instructed officers on the proper etiquette and policy in a situation that required consultation for a resolution. These protocols were the foundation of Starfleet and the responsibility of its officers to uphold and protect, ranging from all manners of duty, such as interstellar diplomacy to punctuation of reports. Violations of protocol could have led to being placed on report, a court martial, demotion of rank, or other reprimands. A list of some of Starfleet's most important protocols has been documented below. General Orders * General Order 1 - More commonly referred to as the Prime Directive. This order prohibits any Starfleet ship or members from involving themselves in the affairs of other cultures, most notably species that have not yet achieved space travel. * General Order 4 - Starfleet expressly prohibits the death penalty. The only exception to this rule is mutiny. * General Order 6 - If a biological catastrophe occurs aboard a starship that results in the death of all life-forms aboard, the ship will self-destruct after 24 hours of inactivity to protect other beings from the disease on board. * General Order 7 - No Federation Starfleet vessel was to ever visit the planet Talos IV. This was to prevent anyone from falling victim to the Talosians' immense psychic abilities which included mental illusions and mind control. The Talosians were a frail species and had no means of space travel, but after being visited by the USS Enterprise in 2267, they had attempted to enslave the crew. General Order 7 was the only order that carried the death penalty if violated. * General Order 15 - No flag officer is to transport into a hostile or hazardous area without an armed escort. Starfleet Directives * Directive 010 - Before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve nonmilitary resolution must be made. * Directive 101 - Any individual accused of a crime does not have to answer any questions. * Directive Omega - This directive concerned the discovery of Omega molecules: highly unstable particles that, if detonated, could not not only cause immeasurable destruction in normal space but could also destroy subspace, making warp travel impossible. Only starship captains and admirals were aware of the directive and were to alert Starfleet Command of the presence of Omega molecules if they were found. Starfleet would then dispatch specially trained operatives to safely destroy the Omega molecules. * Temporal Prime Directive - In a universe where time travel is confirmed possible and may occur with frequency, Starfleet rules that in the event of temporal displacement, Starfleet personnel should avoid taking any actions that might upset the course of history, unless it is to prevent the actions of another entity from disrupting established history. This includes keeping any knowledge of future technology and events a secret from the beings of said time period. Facilities For a list of significant Starfleet bases and installations, click here. Vessels For a list of known Starfleet ship classes, click here. Category:Political Agencies Category:Exploratory Category:Star Trek Category:United Federation of Planets